Objective: To analyze the acute effects of a multicompartment aquatic training (MAT) session on heart rate variability (HRV) in a person with Parkinson’s disease (PD).

Background: PD is a neurodegenerative condition characterized by motor and non-motor symptoms, such as disorders of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS), which can be recognized by changes in HRV [1, 2, 3].

Method: Case study approved by the Research Ethics Committee, CAEE: 39816320.1.0000.0102, conducted in Brazil. Short-term resting HRV collection was performed using an Polar H10 heart rate [4] monitor in the supine position for 10 minutes, with the first 5 minutes for system adaptation and the subsequent 5 minutes for indices of the given frequency domain HRV analysis [5]. Data were exported in txt. format to Kubios HRV Scientific 4.1.0 ® software. Heart rate (HR) mean, High Frequency (HF) in normative units (nu), a parasympathetic indicator, Low Frequency (LF) in nu, a sympathovagal indicator with sympathetic predominance, and LF/HF ratio from frequency domain were analyzed [5,6]. The MAT single session lasted 50 minutes, with initial 15 minutes of walking and acclimatization, 15 minutes of resistance exercises at a subjective perceived exertion (PSE) of 13-17 on the BORG Scale (6-20) for hip flexion, extension, abduction, and adduction, 15 minutes of neuromotor exercises, and final 5 minutes of relaxation.

Results: The sample consisted of a man, 91 years old, stage 3 on the Modified Hoehn & Yahr Scale and average time since diagnosis 30 years. The mean HR decreased from 78 beats per minute (bpm) to 72 bpm post-MAT. LF index and LF/HF ratio increased from 17.376 nu to 36.074 nu and from 0.210 to 0.564, respectively. Meanwhile, HF decreased from 82.404 nu pre-intervention to 63.883 nu post-training. These results indicate that MAT increases sympathetic activity and decreases parasympathetic cardiac stimulation, what is expected due to the physiological demand of physical exercise, however the reduced HR response may indicate a physiological adaptation of the body in immersion.

Conclusion: As an acute effect, MAT can promote changes in heart rate variability and mean HR in the case studied.

References: 1. CABREIRA, V.; MASSANO, J. Doença de Parkinson; Revisão clinica e atualização. Acta Médica Portuguesa, v. 32, n. 10, p. 661-670, 2019.
2. JAIN S.; GOLDSTEIN D.S. Cardiovascular dysautonomia in Parkinson Disease: From pathophysiology to pathogenesis. Neurobiol Dis. 2012 Jun; 46(3): 572–580.
3. VANDERLEI L.C.M.; PASTRE C.M.; HOSHI R.A.; CARVALHO T.D.; GODOY M.F. Noções básicas de variabilidade da frequência cardíaca e sua aplicabilidade clínica. Rev Bras Cir Cardiovasc 2009; 24(2): 205-217.
4. SCHAFFARCZYK, M. et al. Validity of the Polar H10 Sensor for Heart Rate Variability Analysis during Resting State and Incremental Exercise in Recreational Men and Women. Sensors, v. 22, n. 17, p. 6536, 30 ago. 2022.
5. SHAFFER, F.; GINSBERG, J. P. An Overview of Heart Rate Variability Metrics and Norms. Frontiers in Public Health, v. 5, n. 258, 28 set. 2017.
6. LI, Y.; WANG, J.; LI, X.; JING, W.; OMORDION, I.; LIU, L. Association between heart rate variability and Parkinson’s disease: A meta-analysis. Current pharmaceutical design, v. 27, n. 17, p. 2056–2067, 2021.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/acute-effects-of-a-multicomponent-aquatic-training-session-on-heart-rate-variability-in-pd-a-case-study/